The Community Foundation Ireland (CFI) commissioned NB Social Justice Studio in 2024–2025 to examine what it means, in concrete terms, to protect democracy in a small state under increasing pressure. The brief focused on identifying where philanthropic resources could realistically strengthen democratic life. Our task was to generate an analysis that could underpin intentional, courageous and grounded grant‑making decisions.
Purpose and framing
The project was deliberately framed as a learning and sense‑making process, not as a branding or strategy exercise. It aimed to:
- Build a shared, evidence‑informed picture of the current democracy protection landscape in Ireland.
- Identify where philanthropic interventions can shift underlying conditions, and where their influence is limited.
- Surface tensions, blind spots and potential unintended consequences in how philanthropy engages with democracy work.
Throughout, the focus remained on democratic infrastructure and practice in Ireland, grounded in the realities of Irish civic and political life.
Approach and methods
NB Social Justice Studio used a qualitative, field‑informed approach, combined with Michael and Jaime’s own deep knowledge of the subject, having worked in this space for many years. The methods included:
- Confidential interviews and dialogues with civil society leaders, community organisers, human rights advocates, journalists, and other field experts.
- Targeted engagement with institutional and philanthropic actors to understand existing funding patterns, priorities and constraints.
- Review of relevant Irish policy and funding trends, alongside international democracy‑protection initiatives, with an emphasis on transferability to the Irish context.
Activist and community insights were treated as core evidence. They shaped the analytical frame, rather than being added as anecdotal illustration after the fact. The work was co‑led by Michael Barron and Jaime Nanci, drawing on combined experience in human rights, movement building and philanthropic systems.
Headline themes
The analysis led to an updated Ten Levers for Democratic Protection framework, with a focus on Irish conditions. Key features included:
- A focus on conditions rather than projects: information and narrative ecosystems, grassroots organising capacity, legal and policy infrastructure, civic space, and community‑level resilience.
- Clarity about where philanthropic investment can realistically contribute to change, and where structural or state action is indispensable.
- Explicit attention to risks such as over‑centralisation of power in Dublin, over‑professionalisation of movements, short‑termism, and risk aversion that dilutes necessary dissent.
In parallel with the framework, NB Social Justice Studio developed strategic pathways and scenarios to support CFI’s internal decision‑making, recognising different levels of risk appetite and potential roles within the wider ecosystem.
Collaborative evaluation in practice
As with other NB Social Justice Studio projects, the work with the Community Foundation of Ireland was structured as a collaborative enquiry rather than a one‑off expert report. This meant:
- Co‑defining the central questions with CFI and returning to them iteratively as the work unfolded.
- Providing spaces where frontline actors could speak candidly about both opportunities and fears, without pressure to align with institutional narratives.
- Translating complex political and systemic analysis into clear, accessible language and decision‑support tools for use across the Foundation.
This approach enabled the findings to inform internal strategy discussions, board deliberations and conversations with partners, rather than sitting as a static document.
Studio learning and implications
For Community Foundation Ireland, the work has contributed to a sharper understanding of its potential roles in democracy protection, including when to step forward and when to support others’ leadership. It has also supported more explicit recognition of the Foundation as a political actor in the broad sense: one that makes choices about which voices and infrastructures are resourced.
For NB Social Justice Studio, this project reflected a growing strand of our work on democracy, civic space and social change. It drew on our experience of supporting movements, civil society organisations and funders to understand how democratic participation is changing, where pressures are emerging, and how communities can respond.
Several lessons stood out. Protecting democracy is long-term work. It requires strong organisations, active communities and sustained investment over time. Philanthropy has an important role to play, not by directing change from above, but by helping create the conditions in which communities, organisations and democratic institutions can thrive.
The project also reinforced the value of research as a tool for collective understanding. Good research should help people see the landscape more clearly, identify opportunities for action and make informed decisions about where to focus their efforts.
This work reflected NB Social Justice Studio’s approach to research and strategy: combining evidence, practical experience and an understanding of how social change happens in the real world. Working alongside Community Foundation Ireland, the project helped identify opportunities for philanthropy to support and strengthen democracy in Ireland at a time of growing challenge and change.
